After Lauren Devereux met Patrick Burns at a launch party, she thought she had an easy in for a second meeting. Her boss at the time was dating Patrick's best friend, so a formal intro/double date/number exchange was a given, right? Well, not exactly: the boss and the best friend broke up the morning after the party. (Yes, seriously.) Thankfully, Lauren says her boss was "so dedicated" to making their match work that she invited Patrick (sans his best friend) to her birthday party the following week. "We sat next to each other and the room stood still," Lauren recalls. "That was September 10, 2013. Four years later, minus one day, we were married!"

For their wedding, the couple, who got engaged on a beach in Belize, opted to host an event close to their home in Brooklyn. "We had family coming from all over the world, and we loved the idea of being able to show them our favorite borough while still giving them a great sunset view of the Manhattan skyline," explains the bride. They selected Greenpoint Loft, a space that could show off both Brooklyn vibes and Manhattan views, and invited 182 to join in the celebration. With their venue and guest list set, Lauren and Patrick turned to Jove Meyer of Jove Meyer Events to bring their vision to life. "Aesthetics weren’t as important to us as vibe was," Lauren says. "We wanted it to feel intimate and relaxed, so pretty much all of the decisions that we made stemmed from our desire to achieve that feeling." Among these decisions, they opted to serve dinner family-style, exchange vows in a circle surrounded by their loved ones, and have their siblings sing while they walked down the aisle. But that doesn’t mean Jove wasn’t on hand to deliver on his signature style—together, they filled the space with “tons of greenery,” candlelight, and burgundy accents (the bride’s favorite color) to create a scene that felt like it “brought the outdoors inside.” Keep reading to see how exactly they did that—think greenery “trees” on columns and more—in these stunning photos by Lev Kuperman. Plus, keep an eye out for the couple’s special officiant, Senator Cory Booker.

The bride admits that shopping for her dress took some time—and visits to seven different bridal salons. She knew what she didn’t want (ruffles, lace, sparkle) but had a hard time articulating what she did want. That said, she discovered exactly what she wanted when she saw this gown by Karen Willis Holmes. “I knew even before I put it on,” she says. “It was the perfect combination of unique, modern, and timeless.”

Lauren completed her look with a bouquet of burgundy dahlias and white anemones and a custom cape. “I couldn’t think of a more opportune moment to feel like a superhero than while marrying the man of my dreams,” she says.

The groom and his groomsmen, including the bride's three brothers, dressed in formal Scottish dress—including kilts! “It was so cool seeing my American family adopt a tradition that was so core to his heritage,” Lauren says. “My mother-in-law actually brought all of them with her from Glasgow. They were heavy, and she is a saint!” The bride’s side wore one tartan and the groom’s another so it felt like they were all "part of the same clan coming together.” The bride let her bridesmaids select their own dresses, as long they were in her favorite color palette.

Lauren asked her dear family friend Cory Booker, who actually officiated her parents' wedding, to officiate theirs. “We wanted every single touch to feel super authentic to who we are as people and a couple,” she says. “We were so lucky that he shared that goal. He spent over three hours interviewing us together and separately so he could make sure the ceremony reflected exactly who we are as a couple.”

"Getting married in the round was something that we had always talked about wanting to do, and this space was perfect for that," Lauren says. "It was so fun being surrounded by everyone in all directions. We took a moment in the ceremony to look around, and even changed sides to equally involve all friends and family members."

During the ceremony, the couple exchanged vows they'd written themselves. "This was a super crucial part for us. I’m kind of a train wreck when I’m emotional, so I decided to write down my vows to avoid any trauma for the audience," Lauren says with a laugh. "Patrick decided to one-up me and memorize his. When he forgot a section, he recovered by telling me that he’d never let anyone put onions, my least favorite, in my food ever again. I reciprocated by telling him I’d never root for another football team. They were dysfunctional and completely us."

Lauren and Patrick also exchanged rings that they bride made herself. "It was a super special and sentimental process for me," she says. "And unlike DIY projects that only last for the wedding day, these will last forever!"

The couple put a personal touch on almost every element of their big day. They included a crossword puzzle (their favorite Sunday morning activity) on the ceremony program, served apps that mixed elements from Patrick’s Scottish heritage and Lauren’s love of junk food, and added love poems to their gift bags. “We loved the idea of having the sentimentality of our day be something that everyone participated in, and was immortalized as an object that our guests could take home,” explains the bride.

The couple stuck with their vision to bring the outdoors inside by covering large columns in trees, so guests would be "sitting under the trees" during dinner. This look was reinforced on several surfaces, from the hanging ring of florals at the ceremony to the entrance to the reception—and even, the bathrooms! "Jove came up with some great ideas to achieve our vision and really blew our minds," Lauren says.

The bride and groom asked their siblings to perform during the ceremony, and even brought in a piano for them to play during dinner. "They frankly stole the show," Lauren says. But Lauren and Patrick did take center stage at one point, when they took to the dance floor for their first dance. "We decided that we’d rather have everyone dance together for the first song," she explains. "We played Beyonce, obviously, and there wasn’t a booty not out on the dance floor!"